Sales at Domino's Pizza in Ireland were hit during the first half of the year by adverse weather conditions, but the chain still saw revenue here increase as it returned to expansion mode.

The group had previously indicated that the snow in late February and early March had negatively impacted sales.

But Domino's system sales in Ireland - the sales by all outlets here - rose 2.5pc in euro terms during the 26 weeks to July 1 to £30m (€33.5m).

The UK-based, stock market-listed Domino's group that controls the franchise in the UK and Ireland, said that its Irish operations remain "highly profitable".

In euro terms, Domino's revenue here rose 11.3pc last year to €67.1m. Domino's outlets in Ireland, owned by Northern Ireland businessmen Charles and Adrian Caldwell, account for the biggest slice of the chain's revenue here.

Accounts for a company controlled by them, which is behind their Domino's outlets in Ireland, show that it generated revenue of €49.2m last year, and a €7.2m profit.

Domino's recently opened its 50th store in Ireland, in Ringsend in Dublin.

"Our franchisees remain some of the best entrepreneurs and operators in the Domino's system worldwide," said the chain yesterday as it released its interim results.

"Our interests are aligned: we all benefit from increased scale, through the growing value of the brand, greater supply chain efficiency and the shared investment in new innovations to improve the customer experience continuously."

Group sales rose 12.8pc to £616.6m (€689m) in the first-half, with underlying pre-tax profits up 2.5pc, at £45.7m (€51m).